The Chesterfield football history resource

With
Nicky Law, Darren Carr formed a powerful partnership at the centre of Chesterfield's
defence as the club successfully negotiated the 1995 Division Four play-offs.
Tall and uncompromising, with power and timing in the tackle, a section of
supporters nicknamed him "Meat," perhaps with a wink at the
vegetarian movement’s slogan, "Meat is Murder."

Darren
began as a Bristol Rovers trainee but moved to Newport County and Sheffield
United before becoming a Dario Gradi player at Crewe. He completed 104 League
matches for the Alex before his £30,000 transfer to Chesterfield in July 1993.

Darren
missed all but two games of the `95-6 season through injury. In his only league
match of that season, at Swindon, he was sent off after giving away a throw in
and was assaulted by a supporter as he attempted to leave the field. He spent
fourteen months nursing knee injuries and came back to competitive, first-team
football in November, '96. His 'Hard man' crew-cut was replaced by a fine mop
of hair, and he now bore an uncanny resemblance to Les Hunter. He played as if
he hadn't been away, his dominance and sure approach returning immediately. He
had tough competition for a place, though; Mark Williams was the lynch-pin of
the defence by now, and Sean Dyche had used Darren's absence to mature into an
excellent ball-playing centre-half.

John
Duncan tried three centre-halves for a time, but this had a generally
unsettling effect on the team, so Darren was used principally as cover as
Duncan rested players between F.A. Cup ties in Chesterfield's run to the
semi-finals. Uncertain as to his future, Darren delayed signing a contract
during the summer of '97 until Sean Dyche left for Bristol City. He duly
started off as a first-choice first-teamer but soon lost his place through
injury. Darren's '97-8 season thus mirrored his '96-7, with a late recall to
the team as injuries cleared up. Having signed only a two-month contract in the
summer of '98, Darren moved to Gillingham on the day before the new season started,
and scored an own-goal on his debut. He appeared briefly in the Gills'
memorable Wembley play-off against Manchester City before moving on to Brighton
and then non-league football. Darren has settled in the Bristol area and works
in the building trade.